يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتِهِمَآ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ يَرَىٰكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُۥ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ 27
Translations
O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe.
Transliteration
Ya bani Adam la yaftinannakum al-shaytanu kama akhreja abawaikum min al-jannati yanzi'u anhuma libásahuma liyuriyahuma saw'atihima, innahu yarakum huwa wa qabíluhu min haythu la tarawnahum, inna ja'alna al-shayatín awliya'a lilladhína la yu'minun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns the children of Adam against Satan's deception, reminding them how he caused their parents' expulsion from Paradise by stripping them of their clothing to expose their shame. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that Satan and his army of jinn possess the ability to see humanity while remaining unseen themselves, using this advantage to tempt and deceive. The ayah concludes that those who reject faith make Satan their ally and protector, emphasizing the spiritual danger of disbelief and susceptibility to Satanic influence.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-A'raf (a Meccan surah), which discusses the stories of the prophets and humanity's moral struggles. It comes in the context of the narrative about Adam and Eve's creation and their test in Paradise, serving as a historical reminder and warning to listeners about the origin of human vulnerability to temptation and the nature of Satan's enmity toward mankind.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Satan runs through the son of Adam like blood runs through the veins' (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Additionally, 'The best among you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' relates to guarding oneself and family from Satanic influence (Jami' at-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must remain vigilant against Satan's temptations by remembering that he sees us while remaining invisible, and that faith and obedience to Allah are our strongest defenses. This ayah teaches us that moral consciousness and awareness of our accountability before Allah are essential safeguards against following desires that lead to shame and spiritual ruin.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِىٓ أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ فِى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱدَّارَكُوا۟ فِيهَا جَمِيعًا قَالَتْ أُخْرَىٰهُمْ لِأُولَىٰهُمْ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَٔاتِهِمْ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَعْلَمُونَ
[Allāh] will say, "Enter among nations which had passed on before you of jinn and mankind into the Fire." Every time a nation enters, it will curse its sister until, when they have all overtaken one another therein, the last of them will say about the first of them, "Our Lord, these had misled us, so give them a double punishment of the Fire." He will say, "For each is double, but you do not know."
خُذِ ٱلْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ
Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant.
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَـٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
And to Allāh belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.
وَيَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."